Air Products to Site New ASU and Modernize Middletown, Ohio Operations

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Feb 17, 2011, 11:30 ET

LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa., Feb. 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Air Products (NYSE: APD) today announced it will build, own, and operate a new air separation unit (ASU), a new hydrogen production facility and will make additional investment in an existing ASU and liquefier which has been producing industrial gases in Middletown, Ohio. The new facilities, planned to be on-stream in the fourth quarter of 2012, will provide additional capacity to meet customer demand for industrial gases and merchant liquid products in the region.

"Air Products has supplied customers in Middletown and the surrounding region with on-site and merchant gases since the 1960s. This new investment shows commitment to our customers in the Midwest market, it will expand our capability to serve the area, and it provides significant modernization of our operations there," said Wilbur Mok, vice president - Tonnage Gases North America for Air Products. Mok noted that the new facilities will replace some smaller existing operations at this location to meet the increased demand for both on-site and merchant industrial gas products.

The new ASU will have production capacity of over 700 tons per day of combined pipeline and merchant oxygen output, and total argon capacity for the site will increase. Air Products will also generate hydrogen at Middletown to meet customer requirements with its PRISM® Hydrogen Generator steam methane reformer (SMR) producing over one million cubic feet per day of hydrogen. Air Products' on-site hydrogen product offerings were enhanced by the 2008 acquisition of this novel and patented SMR technology with flexibility to meet the varied hydrogen capacity requirements of a customer.

About Air Products

Air Products (NYSE: APD) serves customers in industrial, energy, technology and healthcare markets worldwide with a unique portfolio of atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases, performance materials, and equipment and services. Founded in 1940, Air Products has built leading positions in key growth markets such as semiconductor materials, refinery hydrogen, home healthcare services, natural gas liquefaction, and advanced coatings and adhesives. The company is recognized for its innovative culture, operational excellence and commitment to safety and the environment. In fiscal 2010, Air Products had revenues of $9 billion, operations in over 40 countries, and 18,300 employees around the globe. For more information, visit www.airproducts.com.

***NOTE: This release may contain forward-looking statements within the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on management's reasonable expectations and assumptions as of the date of this release regarding important risk factors. Actual performance and financial results may differ materially from projections and estimates expressed in the forward-looking statements because of many factors not anticipated by management, including risk factors described in the Company's Form 10K for its fiscal year ended September 30, 2010.

SOURCE Air Products